June 16 2019 - Two Spirit Indigenous Peoples Association Plans Massive Contingent for Stonewall 50 Pride Parade Celebration
The world will be watching on June 30th, as the Two Spirit Indigenous Peoples Association (TSIPA) of New York City marches 150 Natives strong in the WorldPride/Stonewall 50 Pride Parade celebration! New York City's local ABC7 (channel 7) will be broadcasting live coverage beginning at 12 p.m. on June 30th, 2019, with worldwide coverage being streamed on abc7ny.com.
The relationship between Heritage of Pride New York City (HOP) and Two Spirit Indigenous Peoples Association has been monumental for the city's Two Spirit community and its movement. Two Spirit Indigenous Peoples Association's 2nd annual "2 Spirits & HIV: a conference for TSLGBTQ+ Native Americans affected by HIV" health event is listed as an official event on the WorldPride/Stonewall 50 New York City Pride website, and Heritage of Pride New York City has been an Two Spirit ally since Heritage of Pride New York City's first town hall meeting last year, where members of New York City's Two Spirit community were present to hold space for Two Spirit people.
The "2 Spirits & HIV" conference is hosted by the Two Spirit Indigenous People’s Association in coordination with WorldPride and the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. With generous support from the American Indian Community House, New York City Pride, Gilead, Indian Health Service with funds from the Secretary's Minority AIDS Initiative Fund, New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.
The conference will be held on June 29th at New York City's Abrons Arts Center. Respected Elders will be presenting such as Isadore Boni (San Carlos Apache), American Indian Community House (AICH) Executive Director Curtis Harris-Davia (San Carlos Apache), Rick Haverkate (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) from Indian Health Services (IHS), Albert McCleod (Nisichawayawihk Cree Nation and the Metis Community of Norway House in Northern Manitoba), Muriel Mugiel (Kuna/Rappahannock) of the historical Spiderwoman Theater, the conferences keynote speaker Ron Rowell (Choctaw Nation, Founder and Former NNAAPC Executive Director), and Trevor Stratton (Ojibwe). Citizens from nations across Turtle Island will be in attendance to come together as a community and discuss new and innovative ways to address HIV/AIDS in Indian Country, find more effective ways to treat and prevent HIV infection, and to honor those who have gone before us from HIV and the warriors who have so triumphantly survived the epidemic.
Two Spirit representation will be also on the lead float in the WorldPride/Stonewall 50 march right behind the Grand Marshalls, with Sheldon Raymore (Cheynne River Sioux), who will be representing Two Spirit Indigenous Peoples Association as a Community Hero. Raymore was nominated for the honor by the Two Spirit community for his work on numerous projects in the Two Spirit community and beyond.
Two Spirit Indigenous Peoples Association will be holding space for Two Spirit people all of pride weekend, and on June 30th, Two-Spirits from all Nations will march down the center of New York City with pride. Showing the world that not only are Two Spirits the first gender non-conforming people of this land (predating the LGBTQ movement), but that we are still here, and we are thriving.
For more information visit: https://twospiritindigenouspeople.org/conference.
To register to march with Two Spirit Indigenous Peoples Association, visit: https://twospiritindigenouspeople.org/worldpride-march-2019.